The 3D-printed Minimalist Lightweight Micro Turbojet Engine, which was developed independently by the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), successfully completed its first flight test in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday, AECC announced on its official WeChat account on Wednesday.

According to the AECC, the engine is the first of its kind in China to complete a flight test, with a thrust level of 160 kilograms. The engine, which utilized multidisciplinary topological optimization and additive manufacturing technology, represents a revolutionary integration and innovation in aviation engine design and manufacturing processes, filling a domestic gap in the full-scale engineering application of this technology.

The flight test was conducted according to the planned scheme. It reached a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, which fully verified the engine's reliability and stability under real flight conditions. The success of the test marks significant progress in China's application of deep integration of multidisciplinary topological optimization design and additive manufacturing in aviation power engineering.

The engine’s development team tackled key technologies such as multidisciplinary topological optimization design tailored for additive manufacturing and integrated design of components, significantly reducing the engine's structural weight and achieving remarkable improvements in key performance indicators. To ensure the success of the flight test on the first attempt, the engine had completed critical ground tests, including performance standards and engine life, before the test flight.

This successful maiden flight will lay a more solid technical foundation for the development of subsequent advanced aviation engines, said AECC.